1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clip for tensioning a trim cover for covering a cushioned pad for a seat, and attaching a portion of the trim cover to the cushioned pad, by utilizing a tensioning cord attached to the portion of the trim cover. The present invention also relates to a vehicle seat in which a trim cover for the vehicle seat is tensioned and attached at a portion thereof to a cushioned pad for the vehicle seat by clips.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a clip for tensioning a trim cover for a vehicle seat and attaching a portion of the trim cover to a cushioned pad for the vehicle seat, there is proposed a clip that includes a frame body formed substantially into an upward facing U-shape in cross-section, a pair of spaced apart inverted-pawls provided at edges of both ends of the frame body so as to inwardly face each other, and a hook portion provided at the frame body so as to extend downward from a bottom surface of the frame body (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-122594). The trim cover has a longitudinal tensioning cord previously attached to the portion of the trim cover and a longitudinal bulged member integrally provided along a longitudinal edge portion of the tensioning cord. A plurality of clips each constructed as discussed above are attached to the longitudinal bulged member of the tensioning cord of the trim cover so as to be disposed at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal bulged member, with substantially U-shaped frame bodies thereof receiving regions of the longitudinal bulged member therein and retainingly holding the regions of the longitudinal bulged member and with pawls thereof being stoppingly engaged with the regions of the longitudinal bulged member.
The trim cover having the clips attached to the longitudinal bulged member in the manner as discussed above is conveyed to a production line in which the trim cover is tensioned and attached at the portion thereof to the cushioned pad by the clips, and the cushioned pad is then covered by the trim cover. The cushioned pad has a recess portion in whose bottom an insert wire is embedded so as to be partially exposed at a plurality of axial portions thereof to the recess portion of the cushioned pad from the bottom of the recess portion of the cushioned pad. In the production line, the portion of the trim cover to which the clips are attached through the longitudinal bulged member as discussed above is received in the recess portion of the cushioned pad and the clips are then attached to the insert wire with hook portions thereof being hooked to exposed axial portions of the insert wire, whereby the trim cover is tensioned and attached at the portion thereof to the cushioned pad by the clips hooked between the longitudinal bulged member and the exposed axial portions of the insert wire. Then, the cushioned pad is covered by the trim cover.
In a condition where the clips are attached to the longitudinal bulged member of the trim cover, the U-shaped frame bodies of the clips receive the regions of the longitudinal bulged member and retainingly hold the regions of the longitudinal bulged member and the pawls are stoppingly engaged with the regions of the longitudinal bulged member, so that when the trim cover or the clips are subjected to vibration, shock, etc. which may occur during the conveying of the trim cover to the production line or during treating of the trim cover in the production line, the clips are easy to be considerably shifted relative to the longitudinal bulged member due to the vibration, shock, etc. Therefore, in the production line, prior to the hooking of the hook portions of the clips to the exposed axial portions of the insert wire, the positional deviation of the clips relative to the longitudinal bulged member must be corrected, thus causing drop of the production efficiency.